The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-05-12
MAGNETIC DICE TABLE.

A PIECE OF FURNITURE ON WHICH THE
OWNERS WON THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS
For ten years past there has stood in
the corner of the billiard room of the
principal hotel in this town rickety old
card table, writes Hanford Gal CORE
spondent. Its worthlessness caused it tc
remain in the place during the changes Of
the hotels many proprietorshlps. IT was
a round table covered with an old graz
army blanket, tackled to the edge with a
long strip of leather. At regular dis.
tances were four pieces of tin clumsily
nailed down for the players TO lay theil
lighted cigars on. In late years its -four
rudely made legs were so shaky that nc
one cared to teeter his chips on the table,
and it was chiefly used by the guests to
| throw their coats and hats on when they
went to their meals. For long time
! the present proprietor always said when
| he looked at the table that he 'intended
/ to clear it out to morrow and get new
/ one" but somehow this was not done un.
/ til lately; perhaps then oply because
people began to tear their coats on the
nails, and their impromptu remarks on
the subject tended to complicate mat
! ters.
| 1t was after double barrel explosion
of this kind the other day that the pro
| prietor told his bartender to cut the COW
er off the table and make kindling wood
of the eussed thing. The bartender
whipped out his knife and began to carve
| the blanket. He had just made one
savage slash and had started a second
when his knife struck against something
metallic. He then ripped the cover of
and found steele plate nine inches long
and six inches wide, when was set flush
into the table. The plate was about a
foot from the edge and pierced with a
dozen holes. Every one wondered what
it was for, and an old townsman remem-
bered that the table had been brought
there from Virginia City years ago, and
presumed it was used in the early days
to play some KIDD of cribbage. When
the table began to De chopped up light
was thrown on the character of the table,
for underneath the top, concealed on a
little self by one of the legs, were small
| battery, coils of wire, and some compli-
Gated machinery connected with one of
the tin plates. These were covered with
rust and dust.
remembered seeing in days gone by q
man named Pick Davis win $1,000 al
dice on that very table from a cattle man,
in about fifteen seconds, besides picking
up sundry thousands and hundreds at
other times from those who were gambl-
ingly inclined. Two drinks also caused
the old townsman to suddenly recollect
| that Davis came down to Musical Slough
as Hanford was called then-from
! Virginia City with big reputation as a
| 'dip chuckler,' and the boys came
in from far and near to buck him. 1t
was said that Davis had won over 500,
600 at dice in the mines, where he was
called Lucky Pick" As he was not
found ont in his play he is alive to-day,
but he has changed bis name and owns a
big ranch in the San Joaquin valley.
So it is seen that one way to wealth and
responsibility has been for ''sure thing
man, in the discovery of magnetic out
fit to do up people with dice, and not to
get caught because he got in his work
single handed.